richtips86

I first got into numismatics with this idea that coins could be an investment. I quickly lost that view and then bought coins for the pleasure of it, enjoying holding them, imagining the history of who had used them etc. I have made a decent sum from trading recent decimals, but only through constantly scouring eBay, reading the mintage figures released by the RM and following trends and identifying possible future growth coins has that been possible. Coins like gold will never produce anything, they’ll never pay a dividend and are driven by fashion in terms of the price they will yield, so any investment is purely a punt that there’s someone who will pay more for the coin than you did in the future and is therefore not an investment but speculation. Like stuntman, my investment monies go on accumulation passive trackers and growth shares (buy Bango BGO!) There will be a downturn, but I’ll still get my divis/ greater buying opportunities.

What a brilliant season and series. And finally saw the Christmas episode last night, strange to see an episode in the rain and mud!

It’s not on sky catch up unfortunately.

Yeah but this was after the initial hysteria that kicked off in February 2014 for the kew. The prices did drop and then gradually grow again! I still remember buying my new for £4.63 incl. of eBay fees!

Brilliant! I still need to see the Xmas episode!!

Good to see a third though supposedly final series being filmed at the moment!!

My thoughts are with you @Rob http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/the-rare-new-%C2%A31-coin-worth-%C2%A33000-and-the-window-cleaner-who-has-found-one/ar-BBDXzaE?ocid=spartandhp

I've checked 9, eight of which are smooth to the left and one has the reeding to the left

Where is the micro lettering? Is it visible to the naked eye as I can't see anything and don't have any form of magnification available!

Yes, I haven't received any in change to date in Manchester but they seem to be awash with them in Dorset. Yet none of the 33? banks to release the coins were anywhere near Dorset!

Should!

I've had about 20 so far, has anyone picked up any anomalies so far? All mine to date have been consistent.

I had no idea! Thanks

Surely though it does need to have the denomination stated. Aside from knowing that 50p coins are that colour and shape / design, surely anyone accepting the coin is doing so based upon custom and practice rather than a legal guarantee of the value of the token and what is to say that whoever they then attempted to use that coin with would accept it?

Up to £82 now for completed items on ebay!

And how exactly does that differ to the Royal mint? The only thing worse is the daily Google animation celebrating for instance the '166th year anniversary of the death of Frederick Samburgh' ?

Albeit both Kew and the undated 20p only returned a profit on the secondary market, I've come around to this conclusion, added to that the dodgy press releases i.e the HMS Belfast release, to boost up interest / sow the idea that they're investment pieces amongst the public and then you generate sales from the RM in the hope/expectation, coupled with the sheer number of commemoratives that have been released this year and you've got a good income generator! sorry for the poor grammar, I've had one or two Fursty Ferrets!

Yeah I got one in change today, I've noticed with all £2 coins that I've taken from circulation recently that would otherwise be BU if not for the flaw whereby they have a "halo" - a circular scratch / scuff that goes all the way around the queen's portrait.

I don't know if it's the one you mean but there's "just uncirculated UK" who does exactly as you say. Even selling the card inserts!

I was going to buy the Royal Mint presentation pack from eBay the weekend before the "story broke", but thought better of it for spending £23, having already paid a circulated version! Come Thursday of that week it was going for £250+

Yeah I have a kindle fire and they're black and white

Know it well, I was based on Nuffield Industrial Estate!

Hi Chris, it's decent actually!

Completely off topic, but where abouts in Wimborne / Dorset are you? I've recently moved to manchester but was a 7yr resident of Southbourne! Going home this weekend which I am ecstatic about! Sadly the area is not particularly blessed with coin fairs though

Welcome, I too am a relative newbie (2yrs) having started after being passed my grandads accumulation one Xmas, nothing valuable but full of history and my avatar pic was the first coin I ID'd. I started thinking my interest was George III as I liked the Sharpe films. Even though there's some great numismatic interest in this period, my interests never really developed, I don't know why. I have since moved into type collecting milled half-crowns and working my way through the various mints and moneyers of Henry III silver pennies which can be got in brilliant condition at relatively cheap prices! From my own experience I'd advise not to get too "het up" in initially defining what type of collector you are and just buy what you like the look of. And please, for goodness sake, do not collect milled pennies! Variety is the spice of life!